Improvement in shears for cutting paper



' UNITED STATES ACHARLES BROMBACHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEARS FOR CUTTING PAPER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,650, dated July 1l, 1865.

,wherein- Figure l is a plan of vmy said shears. Fig. 2

, is a longitudinal vertical section at the line .'L'

w; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar marks oi' reference denote the same parts. l

In the eonstructionlot' shears difficulty has .heretofore been experienced iu holding the material to be cut, particularly where the material is very light and iiexible-sueh as tissue and glazed paper and woven fabrics-and where from twelve to twentyfour thicknesses are cut-at an operation. Besides this, the clamping device has been actuated by a separate movement from that ot' the shear, requiring considerable eii'ortand time on the part of the operator to hold with the clamp while he operated the shear, and to release the clamp while l adjusting the materialto be eut.

`The nature of my said invention consistsin, first, the combination of a stationary or bed cutter, a moving shear or cutter, a clampingbar and s irinvs actin on said clam inw-bar 1 D D to hold the material while being cut, without the operator having to exert any power to hold the material by the clamp, thereby leaving him vat liberty to operate the shear or cutter; sec- 0nd in the combination of a spring clampingbar with a stationary and moving shear or cutter, and with mechanism connecting the shear and said spring-clamp, so that the upward movement of the moving cutter shall release the clamping-bar;` third, in the formation of the clamping-bar with a beveled edge adjacent to the shear, so that the material shall be held as closely to the shear as possible, and at the same time the operator is enabled to observe the action of the shear in cutting without his view being obstructed by the clamping-bar; fourth, in providing a sustaining-slide, in com bination with the clamping-bar, that can be employed for keeping the said clamping-bar sufficiently elevated for the material to be ent freely to pass beneath thesame when the material is ot' a nature not to require the use ot' a clamp, or where both hands are required for adjusting the material-such as silk, flannel, Steg-to place tbeedge thereofagainstthe gage; and, it'th,in a movable frame combined with the adjustable gage and shear for sustaining light or iiexihle material and preventing its sagging down while being slid across, so that its edge shall take against the gage and determine accurately the width ot' material cut. If this frame were not employed, itwould be impossible to cut pieces ot' flexible. material of an exact size, on account oi their sagging down.

In the drawings, a is a frame sustaining the table b, at the edge ot' which the stationary or bed shear' c is attached, and also the table d, upon which is a'V-slide, sustaining the gage e, which is to be adjusted in any convenient manner.

f is the moving shear, jointed atg to the bedshear e, and provided'with. a counterweight,h, that is sufficient to prevent the shear falling.

i is the clamping-bar, acting to hold the materia-l to the bed I) when placed beneath it. This 'clamping-bar is beveled or formed rounding In very light and soft material the clamp has to be about one-eighthot au incht'rom the edge of the cutter, so as to hold properly, in which ease a square clamp would obstruct the light and compel the operator to guess at the width necessary to be trimmed otf. My improved beveled clamp enables the operator to see the edge of the shears and trim ofi` only so much of the edge of the material as may be neces sary.

From the ends of the clamping-bar i rods k k pass 'through guides Z l to the cross-head m, and a n are springs adj usted in their power by nuts o 0, said sprin gs acting to hold the clamping-bar iirml y upon any material that is introduced between said clamping-bar and the bed b. This spring clampingbar may be raised by any suitable device, while the material to be cut is passed beneath the same and adjusted to its position. ,f

From the end of the moving shear near the couuterpoise h a rod, p, passes down to alever at q, on a fnlcrn'in. 1', the inner end of which acts below a projection at the center of the cross-head m. The parts are so adjusted that when the' she'nrc is fully elevated at its moving end the spring clam ping-bar i shall have been raised sufficiently for the release ot' the material beneath said clamping-bar, so thatit can be adjnsted,but as the said shearis brought down the end'of the leverqis drawn down from conta'ot with the projection on the crosshead m, so that the spring-clamp is fully operative before the shear commences to cut.

Upon the side of the clamping-bar t' is a sliding rod, t, with a handle at the end, and said i'od is sustai-ned by bolts l in slots orother suitable means.i iid is provided with shortlegs 2 2, which, when in a normal position7 pass into holes in thebed b,- but when the clamping-bar 'i is fully raised the said rod may be pulled endwise, and the legs 2 2, coming over the surfaceof the bed, will sustain the saidV clamping-bar so that it will be inoperative.

I employ a contractile springu, that is only sufficiently strong to draw the' bar t endwise and bring it back to a normal position when the shear f is raised sufficiently to relieve the ends of the legs 2 from friction on the surface of thebed'b. This arrangement serves two purposes. On'e is to keepthe clampup and from operating, so as to allow the shears to work when cutting materialsuch as straw-boards, which do not require holding; secondly, to a1- low the operator to use both hands in placing material which is not stiff enough to be moved with one hand. In this case it is necessary to suspend the clamp before every operation, and to facilitate the' working of this apparatus t-he spring n. is attached to release the clampv after thematerial has been placed, the operator then, taking hold of the moving cutter before bringing it down, raises it. slightly, which relieves the sliding bar t and allows the clamp to resume its position.

The gage e is formed with mortises through which the arms of the sheet-sustainer 'v pass, and screws are provided at et to clamp the same when adjusted to position, the object of this being to sustain the'material being cut as it extends across from the bed-shear to the gage e, in order that accuracy in the width of thinor flexible materials may be obtained. This sustainer u may be made su'ciently light, so that its edge near the shear c may spring down, if necessary, with the material being cut while under the action of the moving shearf. When the gage e is adjusted the sheet-sustainer u is also adjusted tothe proper position. l

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-V ,Y

I. The combination of a stationary shear, a moving cutter, and a clamping-bar, actuated by springs to hold the material to. the bed while being cut, as and for the purposes specilied.

2. The combination bt' a stationary shear, a moving cutter, a spring clamping-bar, and mechanism, substantially as specified, between the movin g shear and the spring clamping-bar, whereby the upward movement of the shear releases thespringclamping-bar, substantially as set forth:

3. Forming the clamping-bar with a beveled edge next .to thev shears. for the purposes specied.

4. `The sustaining slide-rod t, fitted substantially as specified, in combination with the spring clam ping-bar, forthe purposes set forth.

5. The movable sustainer c, in combination with an adjustable gage, e, for'the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 6th day of April, 1865.

-LEMUEL W; SERRELL, CEAS. H. SMITH. 

